Dead Broke
by At A Venture
Summary: EricSookie. Also starring Felipe de Castro. After Sookie's car breaks down, she's desperate for work. Unfortunately, desperate times call for desperate measures, and desperate measures call for unusual jobs with sketchy vampires.
1. Chapter 1

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 1_

My troubles really began when Amelia half-smiled at me across the breakfast table one cold Sunday afternoon. I was already wearing my black pants and white polo tee shirt with Merlotte's embroidered over the left breast. I had to work the lunch shift, just for a few hours. I hated working Sundays because they were so slow, and the tips were pretty sad, but Holly had filled in for me last Monday, and I couldn't leave Sam hanging. I put my coffee cup down and glared at Amelia. I knew it was something bad, and I knew that if I let my guard down, she'd broadcast whatever she was about to say.

"Just spit it out, already." I grumbled. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"I'm going back to New Orleans for awhile." Amelia frowned.

"Oh." I grunted. Things had been tough these last few weeks. The price of gas had gone up, and my new-to-me car had started making those engine noises. You know, the noises that make you wonder if you'll make it to work.

"Yeah. I'll be back though. I'm going to be gone this whole month so I thought…"

"If you aren't living here, you don't have to pay rent. It's not like I have to save a space for you or something."

"I really appreciate that Sookie. I mean, I have to do a lot of work on the property…"

"It's fine. Really." It wasn't fine, but it would have to be. I could make do without my witchy roommate. I didn't have much of a choice anyway.

"I'm just packing up the rest of my things and I'll be heading out on Friday after work." I would be at the bar. She wasn't even saying goodbye. I could understand that. Goodbyes were pretty tough.

"Do you want me to take Mops?" Amelia was asking. I blinked. Mops was our black and orange calico kitten. We'd adopted her from the Shreveport Animal Shelter a few weeks after Bob turned back into a man. It was nice having a pet, especially since my out of state trips had tapered off.

"No, that's okay. It'd be hard for her to get used to a new space for a short time."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Amelia got up from the table and sipped up the last of her tea. "Thanks for being so understanding, Sookie."

"Sure." Understanding, my ass! What the heck was I going to do without Amelia's rent check this month?!

Merlotte's was eerily quiet, even for a Sunday afternoon. Maybe it was just too cold to go out to eat. I had blustered in the employee door at three minutes to eleven. Sam didn't look up from his accounts, but he murmured a greeting when I hung my red coat (a gift from Eric) on the rack.

"Hey Sam," I said as I walked by his office door and out into the restaurant. I turned on all the lights and put out place settings. For an hour, the little bell on the front door was completely silent.

"Sookie, I was wondering if you could take a few extra hours," Sam said as he stepped behind the bar. He was glancing from the work schedule to the supply list. Sunday was a day for bookkeeping.

"You bet!" I squeaked, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

"Good. There's this new girl starting next month. Her name is Jessica. She just moved into town. Anyway, she can't start until the first and you know Holly just cut back a lot of her hours. I think I have about three shifts for you if you can handle it."

"Absolutely! I'll take them." I was definitely bouncing up and down now. Three full shifts a week for a month! Of course, that meant I was at the bar every day, without a day off. Eric would be all grouchy. Too bad, though! I needed to work more than I needed to have sex with the beautiful blond Viking. I thought about that for a minute. Well, it was only a month. I'd gone twenty-five years without sex. I could go a month.

Maybe I could squeeze him in after the bar closed.

"…can handle that Sookie?" Sam was still talking, and I'd missed half of what he'd said. I tried not to stare at him blankly. I nodded my head. I was pretty sure he was asking me if I could handle a seven day work week. I definitely could. I didn't really have a choice. I needed the extra pay now that Amelia was leaving.

The afternoon shift meandered by, and I had one table of midday beer drinkers. The men, men I didn't recognize offhand, complained about my non-standard uniform. I told them that when the weather warmed up a little, I'd be back in my shorts and tee shirt. We gabbed a little about the unseasonable cold (it was about 45˚ outside even though it was March) and they tipped me about a third of their bill (which was sweet but still less than five dollars), and then they left. I spent the rest of the shift wiping down tables and making new place settings. Sam sent me home at four.

My car started sputtering as I drove back across Bon Temps to the farmhouse near the cemetery. The temperature had dropped again, and I found myself turning up the heat in the roomy Malibu. The engine made a gasping, muttering wheeze as I neared the gravel drive up to the house.

"Please don't die honey! I'll turn off the heat!" I whimpered as I shut off the vents. The engine gurgled and wheezed again. "It's just a little further!" Gurgle. Grumble. Wheeze. Cough.

And then the engine died. I sat in front of the mail box in my deceased vehicle. I remembered looking at my bank statement the day before. I had about three dollars in my savings account, and fifteen dollars in my checking account. Even with my next paycheck, I couldn't afford to get the car fixed. I'd have to start taking the little city bus that ran through Bon Temps every other hour. Great.

I shoved open the door and fell out of the car. It was bitter outside and thick black clouds had blotted out the evening sun.

"Fantastic," I muttered as I dug into the mailbox. I pulled out a handful of bills, including one past due notice. I'd spent all my life being poor, living paycheck to paycheck. But you see, you never really get used to that kind of life. After several jobs raking in big checks while working for vampires, I was too used to the good life to remember being poor. I hadn't had a call for a job since the Queen of Louisiana had died, and the King of Nevada had taken over.

It took awhile to walk down the long gravel driveway and up to the house. Amelia was standing in the living room, hanging underwear on the staircase banister. The clothes were sopping wet and dripping on my dingy hardwood floor.

"There's something wrong with the dryer. I'm pretty sure it barked at me."

"What, like a dog?" I blinked.

"Like an appliance that has given up on life and started early retirement."

"Great." I screwed up my mouth in a scowl. Outside, the sky crackled.

"Also, the washer sort of flooded the porch."

I stared at Amelia for several minutes. I was pretty sure there were tears welling up in my eyes. Those appliances were almost new! Well, I mean, they were new to me. I'd cut a couple of corners on the kitchen and deck after the fire, and I'd traded the pretty new washer and dryer for slightly used ones and a little extra cash. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

"My car broke down out by the mailbox." I said. I looked out the back door at the closed in porch. The firewood was swimming in about six inches of soapy, grayish washing water.

"Aw, Sook," Amelia sighed. She touched my shoulder. Her thoughts flooded my head. She was begging me not to ask her for the rent to fix the machines. She was hoping that the Keds she'd stuck in the dryer hadn't been the cause of the belching, fuming cough she'd witnessed seconds before the washer flooded. I sighed and stepped away from her, toward the bedroom. I needed a nap.

It was dark out when I woke up. I rolled over and looked at the glowing green numbers on my digital alarm clock. It was four minutes passed eight. My stomach rumbled, and a bolt of lightning lit up my window. I could hear rain pattering on the roof. I tried to remember whether or not Eric had made a date to come over. I wasn't sure I could stand another conscious presence, even if I couldn't read his thoughts.

On the other hand, he always seemed to make me feel better when he was around. It was all about that blood bond thing. It brought instant happiness. I could use some of that right now.

In the living room, the answering machine light was blinking. I touched the play button as I walked into the kitchen to rustle up some dinner. Hm, condensed tomato soup or condensed chicken noodle soup. Exciting!

"Sookie," Eric. I already felt a pang of resentment. If he was calling, he wasn't coming. "I cannot make it to Bon Temps this evening. I have a meeting with the King. He is visiting Shreveport. I will call you tomorrow evening when you finish work. I miss you, my lover. Good night." The machine beeped. Sam's voice filled the room.

"Sookie, this is Sam." Hi Sam. "I wondered if you could pull a double tomorrow for Danielle. Her daughter has some kind of stomach virus. You sounded pretty excited about extra shifts. Call me back."

I poured the condensed store-brand tomato soup into a bowl. It dropped out of the can in a cylindrical mass of orange goo. Tasty. I read Amelia's note, pinned to the fridge, while the soup heated up in the microwave. Amelia was leaving on Tuesday instead of Friday, and she was very sorry about my car and the washer-dryer. She had pinned a fifty dollar bill to the note to help with the repairs, and she had gone out for the night to "give you and your Viking some privacy!"

"Well, I suppose it can't get any worse." I sighed as I sat down at the table.

Famous last words, right?

I went back to bed after watching a little television. Amelia stomped in, shut the front door, and clomped up the stairs. I guessed she'd noticed the absence of Eric's red sports car. The rain was really coming down, and I almost felt at peace listening to it. Or I was at peace until I heard this violent ringing crash. I stumbled down the dark hallway, not bothering to flick on the lights. Amelia was stomping down the stairs, casting aside still damp underthings as she slid her hand along the banister.

"What the hell was that?!" Amelia yelled in that garbled groggy way common among the sleepy.

"Hell if I know," I growled. I threw open the front door. The rain gutter had ripped free and fallen against the porch. There was a growing puddle forming underneath it.

"Oh come on!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 2_

I sat right down in the doorway and started to cry. There was no use fighting it. I didn't even care enough to get up out of the cold. Amelia frowned and walked back up the stairs. She left the lacy panties and cotton briefs on the floor. I folded my knees up and leaned my elbows on them. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I thought about Eric, but the fact that he was gone only made me more miserable. When I looked up, Bill Compton was standing at the foot of the porch. He was watching me.

"What the hell do you want, Bill Compton?" I half-screamed at him. Gran would have smacked me good. But hell, I needed to scream at someone and Bill deserved it on some level, I was sure.

"I saw your car abandoned at the end of the road. I came to see if everything was okay." He didn't even react to my anger. He just stood there like a wet, glowing, pale lump. That sounds like a stupid description, but if you'd been there, you would have said the same thing.

"Is everything okay?!" My voice was squeaking. I sounded like one of those whistles only dogs can hear. Well, except I can't hear them. You know what I mean. "Oh, Bill Compton, my vampire ex-lover who lied to me and cheated on me wants to know if everything's okay! Well, everything is not okay! My car broke down and my washer flooded and my dryer died and…and… just look at the rain gutter! LOOK AT IT!"

I was definitely freaking out now. This was a whole new level of freaking out, even for me. I wondered if I had paid the insurance bill yet. I was definitely going to have a heart attack.

"And I'm pulling a double shift tomorrow, and I just know I'm not going to get any sleep. I know it! And I can't believe I'm saying this out loud but I miss Eric! Don't you judge me Bill Compton. You left me first, you evil, lying, cheating asshole! I miss that damn Viking and he's off on some fucking errand for the vampire king of this rainy, freezing cold state!"

I let loose a few more sharply toned swear words. Bill was blinking at me from the porch step. I stood up in the doorway and narrowed my eyes at him.

"I rescind your invitation, Bill Compton. Don't you DARE try to come in my house! I don't need you or anyone! Screw you and the horse you rode in on!"

And with that, I slammed the door.

I leaned back against the front door. I was crying even harder now. What _was _that? Where did that come from? Had I just told my ex-lover that I missed my current lover, who, by the way, was my ex-lover's boss? Eric and I weren't even officially dating as far as I knew. He was sort of a secret. Only Amelia knew he spent the night sometimes. Okay, probably Pam knew too, and maybe Bill but only because he lived across the cemetery. But I'd said it out loud and that was probably a big faux pas. I wiped my face with my sleeve and stomped back to my bedroom. I stared at the phone as I tried to fall asleep. It was a little after midnight. I wondered how long Eric would be with the King. Would he go back to Fangtasia after the meeting let out? Would he go home? I knew Eric had his own house, but I'd never seen it. I didn't have a phone number for him there, though I did know his cell phone number.

I grabbed my own cellular off the nightstand. Eric was fascinated by text messages, but I wasn't too talented with the combination number-letter keys on my model. I flipped open the phone and stared at it for a long time. I wondered if he'd put his own phone on vibrate for the meeting. I clicked a few buttons to get to the text messaging menu. Then I selected Eric's number from a short list of contacts.

"Eric. I miss you. Please wake me up and make love to me." I thought out loud. Hm. Not subtle enough. Eric wouldn't be able to help laughing and he'd ruin the sour mood of the meeting.

"Eric. I love you. Sookie." Hm. Too serious. Also, I hadn't told him that in person so saying it in a text message would be weird.

"Eric, I missed you tonight. Also, I yelled at Bill." But then he'd want to know why and it'd be this whole big thing and I'd never get to sleep.

"Eric." I was typing now. "I have to work a double tomorrow. Can you call after two? Miss you. Sookie." I stared at the message, thought a moment, and deleted the sentimental message at the end. I stuck my name in after the question mark. There. Much better. I pressed send, flipped the phone shut, and put my head on the pillow.

It was still raining when I fell asleep.

And when I woke up a little after eight, it was still raining. I looked over at my phone, sitting precariously on the snooze button of my alarm clock. The screen was lit up and it was beeping quietly. I flipped open the phone and clicked a button to view the message in my inbox. Predictably, it was from Eric. Who else would it be from?

"My lover, I missed you this evening. I will call you tonight at two. E."

A little spark of joy raced up my spine before I realized that it would take me a long time to get home from the bar after it closed. I thought about asking Sam for a lift. I decided that if it was still raining, I'd suck it up and ask him. But if the storm cleared up, I'd just walk. I tucked the phone in my purse and got out of bed to take a shower.

That's when I remembered the night before. My indoor porch was flooded. My dryer was probably flooded in addition to being broken. My car had stopped running beside the mailbox. My rain gutter had leaked water onto the porch all night long. Happy Monday Sookie. Ugh.

When I got back out of the shower, the phone was ringing. I grabbed it on the fifth ring. The phone fumbled and slid out of my grip. It banged heavily on the floor.

"Shit!" I swore. I yanked it back up to my ear by the cord.

"Sookie? Everything okay? Look, are you doing that double for me today? You didn't call back last night."

"Oh no!" Damnit! I knew I'd forgotten something. "I mean, yes. Yes Sam. I'll see you at ten. Sorry I didn't call you back."

"It's fine." It wasn't. His voice was tight, strained. "I'll see you then."

I dropped my towel and shimmied into my work clothes. After checking the thermostat outside my window, I opted for the long sleeve Merlotte's uniform shirt and the long pants. I was about to head out to walk to the bus stop when I saw Amelia standing in the kitchen sipping her tea.

"Can I give you a lift?" She smiled at me, still half-asleep. I nodded and sank into one of the kitchen chairs. Amelia threw a cup of coffee and a bowl of Cheerios in front of me. I was really going to miss having her around.

"Thanks roomie," I said with a sigh. The coffee had too much sugar and not enough milk. It looked murky. I drank it down in one gulp. Then I dug into my cereal.

"You're out of milk."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I made my famous noodle casserole for you to munch while I'm gone. And I let the water out of the porch and scrubbed the floors. Oh, and I dumped the firewood out back. It's pretty much useless now that it's all soaked through."

"When did you wake up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Oh. Thanks Amelia." I ate the last bite of cereal. The milk had gone off a little, but it wasn't chunky. I figured I would be alright.

"Sure. Come on, we'd better get going. Do you need a lift home?"

I shrugged as I pulled on my coat. I told her I could probably squeeze a ride out of Sam and Amelia nodded. She was thinking about the mountain of stuff she had to pile into her car before she left on Tuesday morning. It was just as well. I needed to stop relying on her for awhile.

"So Eric was busy last night?" Amelia asked as we drove into town. I nodded, trying not to look too disappointed. "So who were you yelling at?"

"Bill came over to ask about my car." I said succinctly. Amelia nodded. She was my roommate and my friend. She knew all about my history with Vampire Bill.

"If he's any kind of a man, he'll understand about the yelling." Amelia said in a defensive sort of way.

"He's scum."

"Yep."

"I wish I could blame the whole of Sunday on him. Everything. All of it."

"That's the beauty of ex-boyfriends, Sook." We were pulling into the lot at the bar. Amelia grinned at me. "You can blame everything on them. What are they going to do, whine about it?"

I couldn't help but grin at her as I got out of the car.

"Car broke down. Bill's fault. Washer flooded and dryer died. Bill's fault. Overdue bills? Bill's fault. Rain gutter broken and water damage on my front porch? Yep, you guessed it, Bill's fault."

I definitely felt a little better.

Sporting a bit of a smile, I walked into Merlotte's through the employee door and hung my damp coat on the rack. Arlene's coat was hanging next to mine. My good mood faltered. Arlene and I didn't get along so well anymore and where I once looked forward to seeing her, I now dreaded working alongside her. Sam's office was empty when I stowed my purse on the shelf in his office. I walked down the hall and out into the bar. Arlene was already clearing off her tables and putting out place settings. Sam was drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning Sookie," he said to me in a grumpy sort of way. I flashed him my fake, nervous smile. He was still mad that I hadn't called him the night before to tell him I was available to work. I couldn't blame him, but I'd had had problems of my own. _Bill's fault, _I reminded myself. I tried to push the bad memories out of my mind and think about Eric. That didn't help. I frowned.

"Hey Sam, can I bum a ride home tonight? My car broke down." I sighed as I picked up my settings from the box on top of the bar.

"Sure Sook," Sam nodded. He didn't even ask about the car. Great. This was going to be the longest shift of my life.

I hadn't been exaggerating either. It really was the longest shift I had ever had. Arlene left at six just as the orders began piling up, and Danielle, her replacement, was an hour late. Sam ferreted drink orders to and from the bar while I schlepped food to a restaurant full of hungry customers. I even cleaned up the empty plates since the bus boy was MIA. In my exhaustion, it was difficult to keep up the mental barrier between my telepathic mind and the crude, drunken thoughts of my patrons.

_Bet she's goin' commando underneath them pants. I can see the outline of her sweet pussy._ I plastered that crazy smile on my face as I passed the man his burger. I made sure to spit on the bun. _Hear that stupid bitch is a fangbanger. Wonder what them vamps are like in the sack. Bet their dicks are like ice!_ This was from a guy sitting in the back. He was on his fourth Jack and Coke. _Damn Sookie's lookin' hot tonight. Her hair, her lips, and those breasts…wow, what a rack! _Hoyt Fortenberry smiled dreamily up at me. My brother, Jason, was sitting beside him. _Wonder if they're fake._ Another guy on the road crew, some new guy from the high school football team, stared right at my chest. I was certain he was going to reach out and test to see if I had silicone implants.

Sam yanked me aside as Danielle passed by me en-route to a table near the front door. He pulled me behind the bar and stared at me, his hands on my shoulders.

"You've had that grin on your face for twenty minutes, Sookie. I know it's a long shift. Maybe you should take a break."

"No, Sam. I'm fine. I can deal with it."

"I'm worried about you," he frowned. "You let me know if someone steps over the line."

But I wasn't about to give in. If Sam saw that I was losing my cool, I was sure he'd yank my new hours out from under me. I needed the money, badly. I could take care of myself if it meant I would make enough to get my car fixed. I snuck back out from behind the bar. I tried to block out the incessant mind chatter. When that failed, I tried to move so quickly that I'd only be able to pick up a little of the jabbering.

At the end of the night, I collapsed onto a bar stool. I'd made fifty dollars in tips. Things would get better. It was only Monday night.

I got into Sam's car at two-fifteen and my cellular phone was ringing. Sam turned down the radio so I could answer it. Eric's name had lit up the screen. I let out a little sigh of relief and even though I was tired of listening to voices, I wanted to hear his. I wished I could feel that bond thing through the phone.

"My lover," Eric said on the other end of the line. Faint music drifted around in the background. Eric was at the office. "How was work?"

"Long," I said quietly. I didn't want Sam to think I was tired or ungrateful for the hours. "I think I'm going to sink into bed as soon as I get home."

"I'll tuck you in,"

"Are you there?" I blinked. That was a surprise. I thought the music was the background radio at Fangtasia. Maybe it was the radio in his car.

"Nearly," he said gently and hung up the phone. I tried not to smile dreamily. As far as I knew, Sam didn't know Eric and I were seeing each other. And he didn't need to know either.

Sam dropped me off in front of the house and waved as he pulled off. I walked around to the back door and saw Eric's car sitting beside Amelia's. When I walked inside, I saw them sitting on the sofa. Eric got to his feet and smiled at me, a warm, teasing, Eric sort of smile. Amelia got up too, winked at me, and made some pathetic excuse about packing. She bolted up the stairs.

"My lover," Eric said, slipping an arm around my waist. He lifted me effortlessly into his arms and carried me down the hall to my bedroom. I watched Mops trot after Eric's heels. That cat had a thing for vampires.

With one sweep of his hand, the Viking pulled back my sheets. Mops hopped up on the bed and sat on his pillow. He chuckled in a kindly way and set me down on the floor. He undressed me slowly, pulling up the hem of my shirt as he tickled my skin. He reached behind me and unclasped my bra, bending his head to kiss the place where my breasts swelled from my sternum. His hands slid over my hips and he pushed my pants down my thighs. I stepped out of them, kicking them aside along with my shoes. I was shivering in a pink lacy thong and a pair of ankle-high white socks. My vampire then took the nightgown I had left over the back of a chair and pulled it down over my head. I slithered my arms into the sleeves as if I were a little girl getting ready for bed.

"It's cold tonight," he frowned a little, kissing my nose. I nodded. "Get under the covers."

"Join me?" I asked, as if he wouldn't. He grinned and removed his shirt, a fitted plain white tee shirt. Eric bent down to untie his shoes while I shimmied over to my side of the bed and pulled up the flannel sheets, knitted blanket, and heavy winter quilt. Eric gave the kitten a little shove with his hand and she scooted down beside me under the sheets. She pouted as she went.

"Tell me what happened with Bill," Eric began as soon as I'd gotten comfortable. I had rested my cheek on his muscular shoulder while he lay on his back beside me. He ran his fingers through my hair with one hand. I stiffened.

"I screamed at him." I said. I felt a little guilty. I couldn't tell if Eric was laughing or serious without looking at him. I was afraid to check.

"Did he hurt you?" He sounded more serious than amused. I still didn't want to double-check.

"No. I was having a bad day. He just picked the wrong time to stop by and ask stupid questions."

"He called to tell me your car broke down. He demanded to know why I wasn't with you."

"It's none of his business!" I squeaked. I sat up. Mops protested my movement under the blanket. "He had no right to stop by! I'm a person in my own right damnit! I don't need him looking out for me!" I took a deep breath. My voice was doing that high pitched whistle thing again. I glanced at Eric. His mouth was a straight, flat line.

"Relax, lover." He said slowly. He pulled me back down against him. I went with a little reluctance. "Amelia told me about the broken appliances, the rain gutter, the car."

_Please don't offer me money, please please. I can't take it, but I'm so broke I might not be able to say no._ I could feel myself tightening up again. His hand was soothing on my back, but not soothing enough.

"I took more hours at work. It'll be fine. I might not be able to see you as much, but I really need the extra time." I wanted him to know I was taking care of it. I didn't need his charity.

"I'll miss being with you, lover. But I understand." His voice was flat. He was holding back whatever he really wanted to say. I treasured whatever that bond between us was telling him.

"I rescinded Bill's invitation," I said after a bit of silence. If I'd been looking at him, I might have seen him flinch. "I wish he would just move."

"Hm," was all Eric said in reply. I didn't ask what he meant.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 3_

I was up at a little after ten, since I didn't need to be at the bar until five. Mops had slipped out of the slightly open door sometime during the night, and Eric had pulled the blankets up around my shoulders to keep me warm. The house was eerily quiet and I knew Amelia had left as well. I didn't like the quietude. I got up and walked out to the kitchen, trying to make as much noise as I could. Eric had left a small note by my bed which I grabbed on my way to the kitchen. Amelia had left one on the table, along with a gallon of milk. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and started brewing coffee. I sat down at the table and opened Amelia's note first.

_Sookie—I'm gonna miss you, girl! I'll call you when I get there so you don't have to worry! I bought some milk and eggs and coffee. Don't forget about the casserole! Have fun with the Viking, and don't work too hard! Oh yeah, bought cat food too. XOXO, Amelia._

I smiled and spooned a mouthful of cereal into my mouth. Good ol' Amelia. I was going to miss her so much this month. Mops nuzzled my ankle as if to agree. We were on our own now. I set my leftover milk on the floor. Then I unfolded the other note.

_My lover, I hope that all goes well at the bar this evening. I will be waiting for you tonight barring any unforeseen tragedy. Please reconsider Bill's invitation. I like knowing he can look out for you when I cannot be with you. I will retrieve you from the bar or send someone in my place. Don't work too hard. E._

I muttered a little at the part about Bill, and I smiled a little at the part about Eric waiting for me at the bar. No matter what frustration that night would bring, having Eric to look forward to would make it all worthwhile. I bent down to pick up the empty milk bowl from the floor, and as I carried it to the sink, the phone rang. I padded over to it, picking it up on the second ring.

"Sookie, it's Sam." I frowned. Another double shift? I hoped not. I really needed to go to the bank and deposit the fifty Amelia had left for the washer. "Look, I don't know how to put this exactly, but I'm taking you off the schedule tonight. You're calling in sick."

"What the hell are you talking about Sam Merlotte?!" I yelled into the phone.

"Sookie, you looked like death last night after that double. I don't know what you were reading from some of those guys, but it took a toll on you. I saw it with my own eyes. I know I promised you extra hours, but I'm cutting you tonight. Holly is taking your shift. I'll see you Wednesday for the lunch. Take it easy." He hung up before I could say anything else.

I stared at the phone in horror. I couldn't believe it. Sam had cut my hours, just like that. That was a whole premium night shift that I wasn't getting! I wanted to scream out loud. I wanted to punch someone. I picked up a cheap glass vase from the sideboard table. With every ounce of strength I had in me, I threw the thing. It shattered into a million teeny tiny pieces when it slammed into the opposite wall. This was like the worst week of my life, and it was only Tuesday!

"God DAMNIT!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I sat down on the floor as though my legs had just given way beneath me. Mops gave me a wide berth. What is it about cats? They always know when to comfort you, when to whine at you, and when to stay the hell out of your way. I sat on that floor, in that spot, in a sort of coma. I didn't move. I didn't cry. I just sat. The phone rang four times before I registered the sound. I picked it up. It was dark outside. I had to pee.

"This is Sookie," I said into the receiver. Who else would it be?

"Miss Stackhouse, this is Victor. I am calling for the King of Louisiana." I blinked a moment. Okay…

"Oh," was all I said.

"The King would like to hire you as an attendant for a meeting in Las Vegas this weekend. He apologizes for the short notice, but hopes that the financial compensation will be enough to cancel any prior commitments. The event is very high profile, and only the heads of state have been asked to attend." That meant Eric wasn't coming. Oh boy. "Your name is known throughout the vampire community, Miss Stackhouse, and the King wishes to have you as his date for the weekend. You will not be asked to use your gift as there will be very few humans at the event. He asks only that you take care of his belongings during travel, and that you attend a series of evening gatherings with him. What you do during your days is entirely up to you."

So, this would be Sookie Stackhouse, arm candy. Okay, so it didn't offer any kind of opportunity for social betterment or vacation sex with my Viking. Screw it, I needed the money. I'm sure Eric already knew anyway. Maybe that's what his meeting was about in the first place! Although he hadn't mentioned anything about it. Damnit, I wasn't his! I needed the money and I needed to earn it on my own!

"The King is prepared to offer you $15,000 for the weekend, Miss Stackhouse. He will provide you with a car and driver during your daytime leisure hours. Anything you do outside of the hotel will be covered by the King's account. The King would also like to stipulate that he is not interested in any personal liaisons."

That meant he didn't want me to be his whore. He better not! I wasn't some slut for hire.

"Finally, the King would like to say that you need not answer now, but he would like to hear from you by Thursday about your commitment to the event. I will call you on the evening of the third to arrange a schedule with you should you decide to accept the King's offer."

As I was nodding into the phone, my front door burst open. Eric strode in all blazes and hellfire. His bright blue eyes shone and his hair flew wildly around his face. I blinked. The line went silent. Victor had hung up.

"There's a meeting in Vegas!" Eric growled at me. I sort of stared at him. I had temporarily forgotten my bladder while I was on the phone. Now I really had to go. I didn't say a word.

"There's some high profile meeting in Las Vegas and I haven't even been invited! Something about royalty only, blah blah blah. I'm the wealthiest sheriff in the state! I can't believe this!" He was flashing fangs now. He sounded like a snot-nosed kid who had been told he couldn't go to the park until he cleaned his room. On the other hand, he looked like a monster who could break me in half with his bare hands.

I set the phone down on the hook and stared at him. He fumed at me. I reminded myself never to tell Eric he couldn't do something.

"I have to pee." I said. It was Eric's turn to blink. I turned on my heel and walked down the hall to the bathroom. By the time I got there, I didn't have to pee anymore. I walked back to the living room. I stood in front of him awkwardly. My front door was open. The porch was sagging.

"Who was that on the phone?" Eric asked me. I looked at the phone. Then I looked back at the porch. I remembered the washer-dryer, the car still parked at the top of the driveway. I remembered screaming at Bill. "Why is there broken glass on the floor? Sookie?" I remembered Sam cutting my hours. I had to pee again.

"I'm going to Vegas." I blurted. I thought about covering my mouth but there was no way out of this now. Eric seemed to grow taller, burlier, scarier. I wondered if vampires could breathe fire. "That was Victor on the phone. The King wants to pay me to be his arm candy. I don't even have to use my gift. I just have to stand there and look pretty. He wants to pay me $15,000 to stay there for a weekend. I won't be his whore or anything. Just arm candy. I need the money. My car, the washer-dryer, the porch is sagging, and Sam cut my hours because I couldn't control my brain at the bar last night!"

"Absolutely not!" Eric roared like an animal. For a second, I was reminded of Quinn.

"I'm not asking your permission!" I yelled back at him. Oh boy. This was so not going to end well.

"You are bonded to me, Sookie! He has no right to go over my head like this! You are mine!"

"The HELL I am!" I screamed. My voice broke. "You've never ONCE claimed that! Not ONCE! And I don't even want it! I'm bonded to you but I'm not your damn pet, Eric Northman! I'm an independent, 21st century working woman! I am not some charity case! I don't do your bidding, and I'm not taking your money either! This is a job, a real job! And I'm going!"

Eric turned on his heel and stomped back out the door, slamming it behind him. I hoped he had the courtesy to float over my sagging porch. If it caved in, I wasn't going to dig him out.

I really had to pee.

I worked the day shift on Wednesday, but during my lunch break, I steered myself into Sam's office and slammed the door behind me. Admittedly, I was still angry from the night before. I had fumed for hours about Eric's fit of possessiveness, despite a complete lack of such behavior before that night. I didn't know exactly what the bond we shared entailed, but I did know that the possessive "mine" thing had to be said outright, preferably in front of other vampires. Bill used to say that a lot. Vampires didn't seem to know off hand that a human belonged to someone, but once they knew it, they always knew it.

I narrowed my eyes at Sam. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sookie," he said, as if that was enough. Boy was he messing with the wrong girl.

"I'm going away for the weekend. I got a better job. It just came up. Maybe if I knew I had guaranteed work here, I'd stay, but seeing as how you can just find a replacement for me at the last second, I guess you can consider me out sick." And before he could get a word in, I was out the door. I worked the rest of my shift ignoring him.

On Thursday, just after sundown, my phone rang. I pounced on it before it rang twice.

"I'll take the job." I said matter-of-factly.

"Excellent. We will send you a driver on Friday morning. Have a good flight, Miss Stackhouse."


	4. Chapter 4

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 4_

I couldn't sleep on Thursday night. I needed to find someone to feed Mops while I was away and I'd cut ties with every responsible person I knew. Crap. I couldn't believe I was about to call…

"Hi," I muttered into the phone. I wondered if I sounded like I had my tail tucked between my legs.

"Sookie," Bill Compton answered me. I sighed even more. Oh fuck oh fuck.

"Can you come over? Use the back door. My porch is sagging."

"Certainly." He grunted. I sighed. I set the phone on the hook. A minute later, there was a knock on the back door. I frowned and went to open it.

"I invite you in," I said through clenched teeth. I was so not going to apologize. No way. No how. "I'm sorry about the yelling." Damnit.

"I should not have asked such an obvious question." He stepped into the house.

"Look, I was wondering if you could feed my cat. I'm going away for the weekend." Please don't ask why. Please don't ask why.

"To the meeting in Las Vegas," Bill said. Oh crap. Did Eric call him? Did they do that sort of thing? Did they talk about me?

"Yeah. Look, she just needs dry food in the morning and a can of wet kitten food at night."

"I will watch her. Does she like vampires?" As if Mops had heard the dinner bell, she skittered out of the downstairs bathroom and pounced on Bill's shoe. She amused herself by pawing at his shoelaces. Bill smiled. My heart sank. Mops had betrayed me for the attentions of my ex-boyfriend. Damn cat.

"More than people, I'm pretty sure."

"Sookie," he looked back at me. I sighed. This was where I'd get one of those I'm worried about you talks, kind of like the extended disco version of Eric's yelling fit. I looked at my feet. My hands were cold.

"I'm worried about you being alone with the King. Eric does not trust him. I do not trust him. Please call us if you need anything." Bill squirmed. I knew he wanted to touch me, maybe even hold me, kiss me. Briefly I remembered how good it felt to be in his embrace. Then I remembered why he'd seduced me. I felt sick.

"Right." I said. Wow. I really wanted to throw him out again. "Thanks for taking care of Mops."

"It is my pleasure." Suck up. He turned to leave. I grabbed Mops by the scruff of the neck. She whined at me. I shut the door behind Bill. I felt as though I had swallowed a rock.

I set Mops back down on the floor and went to pack my bag. I tried to be happy. Look Sookie, you're going on vacation and earning money while you do it. You'll have enough to fix the car and the washer and the dryer and the porch! You'll even have enough leftover for future emergencies. You can totally get by without Amelia, with your regular hours at the bar assuming Sam hasn't fired you. It's all going to be okay.

But I had this impending doom feeling.

I reached into the closet and pulled out a couple of dresses I'd bought on super duper sale. I'd bought them assuming Eric would take me out a few times, but we'd both been busy and we spent most of our time together in the old farmhouse. I tucked the dresses into a hanging suitcase and put some shoes into a rolling carryon with cozy nighties, hair accessories, makeup, and toiletries. I put some comfortable but attractive clothes in the hanging bag and carried my things out to the back door. When I'd finished, I wrote a note and taped it to the front door. Wow, the porch was in bad shape. I made the writing big enough to be read from the stairs. _Please use back door. Porch is sagging!_ I mean sure, the backdoor and closed in porch smelled like springtime scented laundry detergent, but at least it wasn't threatening to give way.

I sat down on my bed and stared at the clock. It wasn't too late, only a few minutes past one. I thought about calling Eric. I lifted the phone off the hook and dialed the number for Fangtasia.

"Fangtasia," Pam grunted into the phone. The night was winding down. As far as Pam was concerned, she was off-duty.

"Hi Pam," I said. I knew I sounded sad. Pam tried to be sympathetic.

"He's still angry, Sookie. Did you really tell him you weren't his?" She wasn't succeeding in the sympathy. She sounded like a gossiping school girl.

"He's never once…" I started.

"But you're bound to him, Sookie!"

"I don't even know what that means! I thought being his meant him telling other vamps I'm off limits. And anyway, it's not like the King hired me to screw him six ways from Sunday. I'm just a companion. Arm candy!"

"Eric will never let on, but he is jealous. He is very jealous. He cannot overrule the King. The King knows you are bonded to Eric but because Eric has not come outright and said you are his human, he cannot rightfully do anything."

"So I was right!"

"But at what price, Sookie? Eric is so very, very angry. He won't even talk to me!"

"So how do you know all this then?"

"He yelled at me last night."

"I'm sorry, Pam."

"It happens. Sookie, be careful in Vegas. The King…"

"I've heard it three times now, Pam." I groaned.

"Just watch your back. Don't hesitate to call."

"Do you think he'd even come if I did?" I sighed. I was almost a little scared that she'd say no. Pam hesitated. If she could have held her breath, she might have.

"He would."

I reassured Pam that I'd be safe, and I sat down on the sofa. I turned on the television for background noise. I wondered if there was more to the cryptic warnings than Pam and Bill and Eric had let on. What was it about the King of Louisiana that had them all spooked? I'd met the Queen when she was still around. She was a manipulative and awful woman, and though I appreciated her position, I hadn't liked her very much. Still, I couldn't imagine the King was any worse. After all, he'd already extended his protection to me through Eric and Pam. He'd been kind to me when I'd met him, and though I knew that was just a formality, I figured he couldn't be that bad.

I woke up on the sofa with Mops in my lap at a little past nine. I peeked out the window but the car hadn't arrived yet. In fact, I didn't really know when it was coming. I set the cat on the floor and rushed around the house. The shower wasn't even hot before I was jumping out and drying off. The blow dryer echoed in my ears while I brushed my teeth and applied my makeup. I made myself look decent despite the three or four hours of sleep I'd managed to get. Shivering in the cold house, I threw on a pair of black leggings and a cable knit sweater dress. It was probably warm in the desert, but in Bon Temps it was barely above forty degrees. I slid my legs into a pair of black leather boots, styled my hair in a loose ponytail, and checked myself in the mirror. Not bad. Not bad at all. There was a knock at the back door.

"Miss Stackhouse," the driver confirmed as he glanced down at his clipboard. "May I take your bags?" I pointed him to my things and went to make sure Mops had food and water. I scribbled a note to Bill and taped it to the fridge. There were a few bottles of blood in there, along with some milk for Mops (_Only a little_, I'd said in the note_. Sometimes it makes her sick._). I reminded him about the dry cat food (in a box under the sink), and the wet cat food (in the cabinet over the counter with the soup), and to give her a clean bowl every day. I double checked that the oven was off and the table was clean and the dishes were put away.

"Okay," I said, mostly to myself. "Nevada, here I come." I wanted to sound more excited, but I didn't.

I sat in the back of a spacious limousine. The driver had bought me a cup of premium drip coffee from the only Starbucks (brand new!) in Bon Temps. I sipped it while I skimmed a travel book about Las Vegas that he'd placed on the seat. Okay, so now I was a little excited. I'd never been farther west than Rhodes, and that trip hadn't turned out so well. Now I was going to Las Vegas. _What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas_, I thought with a giggle. I felt a pang of regret about the fight with Eric. Boy wouldn't I love to have a few dirty memories with him in Vegas. I thought about calling him. Then I decided not to after all. I would call him when I got back, show him that the King wasn't a bad guy. We'd make up. We'd have that make up sex they always talk about on _Friends_. It'd be nice.

In the travel book, I read about bedrooms with fantasy themes, including one where you could sleep on a round bed covered in fur and animal skin. I thought about being pillaged by my very own Viking.

Oh man.

After a forty five minute drive, the car stopped. I couldn't make out much through the tinted window but it looked like we'd arrived at the airport. I figured I'd be flying Anubis Airlines, the only service that catered to vampires. The driver opened my door and I got out, taking the book and the coffee with me. I was definitely at an airport, but the only plane was a private jet with small round windows. I raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Stackhouse, this is Mr. de Castro's personal jet. Mr. de Castro is already in the city as he had some matters to attend to last night. I will load your belongings. Please allow me to escort you to the stairs."

Okay. Color me impressed.

I took the outstretched elbow of the driver and he walked with me to the stairs. I walked up and was greeted by a handsome young steward wearing a navy blue vest and matching pants. His clean white shirt was buttoned up to his Adam's apple. Yep, I was definitely impressed.

"Please have a seat Miss Stackhouse. I will bring you a breakfast menu as soon as we are in the air. Would you like a glass of orange juice? Or another cup of coffee?"

"Orange juice would be great," I said, trying to sound like I got this kind of treatment a lot.

"Right away, Miss Stackhouse."

Within five minutes, the stairs folded up. The steward, James, returned with my juice and a selection of films about Las Vegas. I chose Ocean's Eleven, mostly because I liked Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and George Clooney. Yum. The plane had a huge flat panel television screen. I watched the film while we rose in altitude.

"Miss Stackhouse," It was James again. I was loving this. "I apologize for our limited selection of breakfasts. I hope that we have something that interests you. Today we are serving a mozzarella and mushroom quiche with a half croissant, sliced pineapple and cantaloupe, and an applewood sausage," I blinked, but he wasn't done. "We also have a short stack of fresh banana nut pancakes with maple syrup and creamy butter, served with a side of smoked pepper bacon, and sliced Granny Smith apples; and finally, we have a plate of eggs sunny side up, served with a small breakfast steak, and a slice of hot crumble coffee cake, and a few slices of honeydew melon."

I was sure my mouth was watering. I wasn't sure I could decide.

"Um, I think I'll have the pancakes," I mumbled. Wow. So very very good.

"Certainly, Miss Stackhouse. I will be right back with your breakfast."

I don't have to tell you how amazing it tasted. I wouldn't even know where to begin.

I fell asleep for awhile after my breakfast. When I woke up, the credits were rolling. I'd seen the film before and I wasn't too disappointed. James got up to change the film. He skipped the terrible second film in the trilogy, and stuck in the third. I really liked that movie. More Brad and Matt and George. I wondered what time it was, and where we were. When I scooted over to look out the window, I saw that James had eaten one of the breakfast dishes I had declined. Thank goodness they weren't going to waste.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked, still pressing my nose to the window.

"I believe we're over the Texas panhandle," James answered me. He smiled. I kept my guard up. Whatever he was thinking behind that pretty face, I didn't want to know.

"Oh," Texas. I'd sucked a bullet out of Eric's chest in Texas.

I tried not to think about that fantasy room in the desert, but it bubbled up in front of my eyes, complete with buck naked Viking wearing an intricate braid in his beautiful white blond hair. I closed my eyes again. Oh man, oh man.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 5_

I woke up from a sex dream as we touched down in Vegas. I couldn't believe it, but my stomach was gurgling. Was I really hungry again? All that sex in my dream had worked up an appetite. I ached to call Eric and relive the entire lurid fantasy. It was just past sunset in Shreveport. But I couldn't call. My vampire would know I was in Vegas, and then he'd be all pouty. I looked down at my phone. Well, maybe I could send him a text message. At least I wouldn't have to hear him gripe through the phone.

_Eric. I dreamed you raped and pillaged me in a fantasy hotel room draped with animal fur. You were wearing that braid in your hair and nothing else. I had some kind of linen shrift on. And then off. Wish you were here. Sookie. _

I hit send before I could think twice about it. I bit my lip. Wow, I really did wish he was with me. I walked down the steps and a new driver put my bags in a new limousine trunk. I waved goodbye to James and closed the car door. I rolled down the window to look at the sparkling Las Vegas skyline. It wasn't that impressive looking in the daytime. In fact, it looked sort of cluttered and off putting. The driver pulled up a long curved driveway in front of an enormous hotel. I stared in awe. I wondered if we were picking someone else up.

After a minute, the door opened. A valet in black tails was standing with his arm out for me. I stared for a second before I got out of the car. I took the proffered arm. I was at the Bellagio. I was _staying _at the Bellagio hotel. Wow. Oh wow. I said I was impressed before, but now I was pretty much breathless. The valet led me inside to the concierge while my driver (MY driver!) took care of the bags.

Talk about rags to riches Sookie! I felt like Malibu Barbie.

"Ms. Stackhouse," the woman at the desk greeted me. She was wearing a beautiful black jacket over a silk cream sweater. I felt underdressed. Heck, I felt downright naked. "Mr. de Castro has reserved one of our 8,000 square foot villas for your private use. Mr. de Castro is staying in the Chairman's Suite, which has been remodeled to suit his special needs." That meant blacked out windows and heavy curtains. "Mr. Loomis, our executive director, will escort you to your villa and make sure you have everything you need."

A sharply dressed older man appeared at her side. He walked around the desk to shake my hand, and he walked beside me, followed by a bell hop, to a private elevator. I thought I might faint. My phone buzzed but I ignored it. On the other hand, nothing Eric could say could ruin my mood. Even if he told me the King was trying to kill me, I couldn't have cared less. Wow.

"Have you stayed with us before, Ms. Stackhouse?" Mr. Loomis asked me.

"No. This is my first time in Las Vegas," I said quietly. I was taking it all in. He led me out of the elevator and opened a car door waiting by the curb.

"Excellent. I'm glad that the Bellagio can complete your impression of the desert. Our villas are available by invitation only. Mr. de Castro has stayed with us several times, and we value his patronage. We extended our villa to him when he mentioned that he would be bringing an exclusive guest." That meant that the King was loaded, and that he had a human with him. "The villa cannot, unfortunately, accommodate some of our more exclusive guests," Vampires. "But we are already in the process of constructing special villas that will."

I nodded.

"The villa you will be staying in is one of our exclusive 8,000 square foot properties. This building has three bedrooms and seven bathrooms." I blinked. Even if I went to the bathroom in a different room every time, I couldn't use every one! "There is also an in-suite gymnasium, a massage room, a dry sauna, a hair salon, a private kitchen with your own cook, a formal dining room, a full bar which we will stock to your liking, a fireplace, and a private terrace with a pool and spa."

The car stopped and Mr. Loomis took my hand while I got out. I almost ate it on the curb.

Mr. Loomis swiped the keycard again on a gate that surrounded the entire building. He ushered me inside and pointed the bell hop/driver around the back. When we were both inside, he handed me the card. I tucked it into my purse.

"In addition to these amenities, you will have twenty-four hour butler service. If you need anything, George will be available to assist you." Just then, we walked by an older man with graying sideburns. He nodded his head to me and the director, then left the room. I wondered what he did when he wasn't bending to my every whim.

"This is the living room," Mr. Loomis said as we walked through a gigantic foyer with marble floors into a living room the size of my kitchen and living room put together. The walls were papered in an elegant magenta stripe, and two comfy looking sofas sat in front of a gigantic television and huge speakers. He led me back into the room. There was a long shiny bar top with a fountain on top. I tried not to giggle.

"I will have George fill this up immediately to your specifications, Ms. Stackhouse. What is your pleasure?" I was pretty sure he was asking me what I liked to drink. I wasn't really used to a lot of variety.

"Um, Coke, orange juice, gin and tonics if I'm really feeling fancy. Oh, it might be a good idea to put some Tru Blood in there too, just in case."

"Certainly." He sneered a bit. I wondered if there was something fancier than Tru Blood. Was Tru Blood low class? I wasn't sure. It was always on sale at the market, but that didn't mean it was cheap, did it?

"Through these doors, you have a formal dining room, and over here is the kitchen. Your cook will arrive shortly should you like a late lunch." I would like, I thought. My stomach was really roaring now. He was still walking. This place was gigantic.

"This is the women's master bath, complete with Swiss steam shower, whirlpool bath, cedar closet, and a small LCD television." I stammered. This was bathroom number one of seven. I wondered if they were all the size of my bedroom.

"Through this door, you have your private salon, and massage room. Simply tell George you are in need of these services, or any other and he will order them for you. They are included in the cost of the room."

There was more touring, through the sauna and the pool and spa in the garden behind the villa. By the time Mr. Loomis left me to my own devices, I was tired and beyond hungry. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to take a bath or a nap or make a sandwich. I walked into the bedroom. My clothes had been hung up in the closet, and there was a slip of paper on my bed. I crawled up on top of the monstrous king sized floral sheets. The note was from Victor, the King's right-hand man.

"Dear Miss Stackhouse," I read out loud. "Please take the time to enjoy all the amenities of your room. The King requests your presence at nine o'clock for a cocktail party at the Le Cirque restaurant. I will arrive to escort you at eight-thirty. Enjoy your stay. Victor."

I wondered what kind of a place the restaurant was, and more importantly, what I should wear. As if he were reading my mind, George poked his head around the French doors that closed off the bedroom. He smiled at me.

"Ms. Stackhouse," he said. He reminded me of somebody's grandpa, though not mine.

"Please call me Sookie," I giggled. I'd had enough of the formalities.

"Very well. What can I get for you?"

"Well, you know, I'm just starving. And I think I need a fancier dress than any of the ones I brought."

"I can take care of both of those problems!" He beamed at me and I wiggled down from the bed. "First, what can I get you to eat?"

"How about a turkey sandwich?" I said thoughtfully. I didn't want anything too fancy. George smiled and nodded to the chef. I hadn't even noticed him standing in the kitchen. He was an older gentleman as well, with rich chocolate skin and a little white in his black mustache.

"As for the dress, where is it you are heading this evening?"

"A cocktail party at the Le Cirque," I parroted, right from the letter.

"Ah. Well, I did see this beautiful gown in the hall closet. It was delivered the other night, along with a few other things." Wow, I thought. He'd even shopped for me.

George led me down the hall to this mysterious closet. He opened the double doors and inside, on a lonely hanger, was a beautiful white floor-length gown. It had an A line skirt and a fitted empire bodice. It was also strapless. I wasn't sure I could pull off strapless. I looked at George nervously. He looked back at me and smiled.

"Best get into the bath, Sookie. I'll bring you your lunch."

I spent an hour in the whirlpool bath, eating my sandwich and watching old episodes of _Friends _on the LCD television. I remembered that Eric had sent a message and I got out of the tub to grab my phone, and got back in before I flipped it open. The message was brief, and it made me ache to hear his deep voice, to feel his soft cool skin, to run my fingers through his hair.

_Lover, come home safe to me. E. _

Oh yeah, I wanted him. I dialed his number. I couldn't even stop myself.

"Fangtasia," Pam.

"It's Sookie,"

"Just a sec. I'll get him." So apparently he had calmed down a little. Maybe.

"Go ahead." It was like dry ice, his cold, stony voice. I had goose bumps, even in the hot bath water.

"I miss you." I said into the phone. It wasn't enough. I ached to be with him. Hell, if I was aching, what I really wanted was him with me.

"Sookie," he was cold at first, but he finished off the notes of my name with a touch of warmth. "How's the desert?"

"The King must be very rich," I said without answering him.

"Yes,"

"I'm sitting in a whirlpool tub in a villa the size of my house, and all I can think about is you." I was laying it on thick, but he couldn't see me blushing. Somehow that made it okay.

"Promise me you'll stay on your guard, my lover. The King…"

"I know, I know. You don't trust him. I got that. A-okay. Loud and clear."

"Sookie," he was irritated. But darnit, I was irritated first. I had called to hear his voice, but I didn't want The Talk again. I'd heard it already. Heck, I'd heard it a lot!

"He bought me a dress. I wish you could see it."

"I will when you bring it home."

"I couldn't!" I thought about the dress in the closet. It probably cost more than my car!

"It's a gift from the King. Be sure to pack it, along with whatever jewels he adorns you with. Think of it as payback for driving your lover…what's the expression… 'up the wall'." He was serious. I was giggling.

"Sookie," he was still Mr. Serious.

"I know. I know. Extended disco version. I have to get dressed. Good night, Eric."

At eight, I was in the dress. Barely. The King had sent along a pair of diamond studs in a gold setting to match, but no other jewelry. The personal hair dresser had tied my wavy blond hair up in a chignon behind my head, and a few shorter wisps fell around my cheeks to frame my face. I stared at myself in the mirror, but I didn't look like myself. I had a tiny scar on my neck from where Eric had bitten me, bonded with me. It was still fading. I twirled in front of the full length mirror in the bedroom. Then I had George take a picture of me with my phone. I sent the photo to Pam.

At eight-thirty, there was a knock on the outside door. George opened it. Victor looked at me with steely eyes. Well, I was on the clock.


	6. Chapter 6

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 6_

I walked into the restaurant on Victor's stiff arm, the train of my white dress fluttering over the gold sandals I'd worn to match. Every eye fell on me. The King of Louisiana emerged from the crowd. I'd never met the man, personally, but from the way he walked—with purpose, I figured this was the guy.

The King of Louisiana (and Nevada, and Arkansas) appeared to be of Spanish origin. He had beautiful olive skin and long black hair. His sideburns were perfectly manicured, and he had a brief but attractive moustache. He reminded me of Antonio Banderas in those Zorro movies. That was certainly a good thing. The King was wearing a black evening jacket over a partially unbuttoned white shirt. He had curly black chest hair. His black pants were slightly pleated and perfectly tailored. The man looked good, sort of a Spanish James Bond. He wasn't as attractive as my Viking, but he certainly matched Bill Compton in the good genes department. I wondered how he would look in a pair of good jeans. Mmm.

The King took my hand and raised it to his lips. I couldn't help but blush. I felt like the belle of the ball. He touched the small of my back to guide me into the room. The gruff and steely Victor fell away and there I was, Sookie Stackhouse, arm candy.

"Miss Sookie, allow me to introduce you to some of my friends." I wondered if the other vampires were his friends. My eyes drifted to their companions. I recognized Stan Davis of Texas in the corner, a beautiful brunette in a stunning blue gown draped over his shoulder. She was gushing to him about something. I probed her brain a little. _Can't wait for the entertainment on Sunday night. I wonder if the King would ever do me that honor. I'm sure I'm as special as she is. I wonder if that's her. _Stan was getting up, his date still perched on him as if she couldn't walk on her own. The King of Texas nodded to me. I nodded back.

"Ah, Stan. Do you know Miss Sookie?" Felipe (hey, it's just easier) had a smooth if quiet voice. It was tinged with the slightest Spanish accent. I wondered how old he was.

"We've met a few times," Stan said without emotion. His date was staring at my dress. I hoped my seams hadn't popped. The bodice was really tight around my breasts which, to be perfectly honest, were too big for the dress.

"It's nice to see you again," Mr. Davis? Your highness? Stan? I had no idea.

"And you as well. I'm glad you could join us so far from your home, Miss Stackhouse."

The King led me around the room for a half hour, introducing me to the leaders of the North American vampire community. I was mixing up names before I finally sat down with a glass of champagne. I felt eyes on me. They belonged to a petite blond girl, the date of someone I'd met but couldn't remember. She looked like a pixie. Her hair was as white blond as Eric's, and it was cut erratically around her forehead and ears. It looked good on her, even if she did look like some kind of elf. She'd worn a lot of smoky eye makeup, and she had on a very short gold dress that drew attention away from her small breasts to accent her unnaturally slim waist. I tuned out the remarks of a vampire toasting at the center of the room. Felipe was lifting a champagne flute of blood.

_I wonder which one of them she is, this girl that Master keeps talking about. I wonder if it's a surprise. She's so lucky. I wish they'd pick me. I've been so loyal to him. I've never offered myself to another, not ever. Maybe they will pick me. I'm definitely pretty enough. _

I blinked and tore myself away from the train of her thoughts. I had no idea what either of these girls was thinking about. Something about a girl, and some form of entertainment. Maybe it was a dance or a binding ritual or a sex act that I'd be forced to watch. Boy, I hoped not. I didn't need to watch any more ritual sex. The pack master ceremony had been way too much for me. Vampire sex, in my experience, tended to be less violent, but I didn't care. Sex was something you didn't witness live, unless you were the one doing it. I shivered. Felipe removed his coat and slipped it over my shoulders.

Inside my evening clutch, gold like my bodice and shoes, my phone was buzzing. I couldn't answer it. I was working. Eric would just have to wait.

The cocktail party went on for another hour. There were toasts and speeches and congratulations. Finally, when I thought I would fall asleep from the boredom, Felipe got to his feet and pulled me to mine. I followed him out of the restaurant. It was getting late, but it appeared we had another engagement to attend.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we drifted out of the room.

"We have tickets to see a private showing of the Circus."

"Sorry, the Circus?" Like with elephants?

"Yes. It is called the Circus of the Sun, but it takes place at night, in water. I believe it is actually a kind of water ballet." I nodded thoughtfully. Well, alright then. That sounded different. Felipe went to fetch his driver, and I peeked at my phone. Eric had left me another message. I touched a few buttons and the message displayed on the screen.

_Call me before the sun rises. E. _

I sighed. He was really worried. I got into the car with Felipe and tucked the phone back into my purse. Victor sat across from us in the car. I wondered if he was Felipe's bodyguard, the same as Andre had been for Sophie-Anne. He was staring at me again, and I wished I could break into vampire thoughts.

Before we took our seats in the theater, I excused myself to go to the ladies room. There were other women in there as well, dates of a few of the vampire leaders. I crouched on the toilet with my skirt up around my waist. I opened the phone and typed a message back to Eric.

_Can't. At some sort of circus. Will be here until after sunrise your time. Will leave a message before I go to sleep. Sookie. _

After all, I didn't want him to worry.

When I got up from the cool porcelain seat, a thought broke into my brain. I leaned back against the stall wall and listened. _I wish they'd just cut to the chase already. We all know he's picking her. I think it's the breasts he likes. Somebody sure blessed her with a good pair. I wonder if the curtains match the drapes. If you dye your hair before you die, does it wash out?_

I blinked and stepped out of the stall. Okay, Sookie, there's definitely something weird going on around here. I walked back into the theater and took my seat beside the King. Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to focus on the ballet, or circus, or whatever. The music was beautiful and the stunts were breathtaking, but all I wanted were answers. I opened my mind to the small crop of humans around me, but their minds were on the show now. I felt my phone buzz again and Felipe looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and pretended to ignore it. I knew it was Eric. More than that, I knew I needed to talk to him.

As I had predicted, the performance let out quite late. Felipe's driver took me back to the villa and the King escorted me inside. We stood in the foyer for several minutes. I looked awkwardly at the floor. Felipe burrowed his eyes into me.

"You have his scar on your throat," he said after a long stretch of anxious silence.

"It's fading," I murmured. His hand reached out and stroked my throat. I couldn't help but shiver. I tried to imagine Eric's hand in the same place. That didn't make it easier. In fact, I was a little creeped out by the sensation of the King's hand.

"Tell me, how long have you been bound to the Viking?"

"Since the conference in Rhodes," I replied. I wanted to shrug off the dress and crawl under the covers. I suddenly ached for Mops. Everything was unraveling. I was uncomfortable and cold and Felipe was bugging me. It was nearly dawn. I was so tired.

"He hasn't tasted you since." That wasn't a question. A shiver of disgust crept up my spine.

"I will leave you to your toilette. There will be a dress provided for you tomorrow evening. Sleep well, Miss Sookie."

The King bent his head and kissed my cheek. I wanted to brush him away but he wasn't specifically being rude, and I didn't want to get fired. He turned and walked away, letting himself out. George was lingering somewhere but I felt so gross that I needed to be alone.

I practically ran down the hall to the bedroom. I shimmied out of the dress, kicked away the shoes, and dumped the earrings on the dresser at the foot of the bed. George had turned down the sheets and I slumped into them. I remembered my promise to call Eric, but I couldn't find the energy to get up again. I'd call him before sunset. He wouldn't get the message until after five anyway. I shuddered when the thought of Felipe touching me snuck back into my brain. Ew ew ew!

It took me a long time to fall asleep.

And it took even longer to wake up. I stretched and opened my eyes. Somewhere, my phone was vibrating insistently. I scrambled around on the floor until I found my evening bag. I answered it on the last ring.

"Sookie! Finally!" Eric. He sounded really pissed.

"I'm sorry. I was so tired when I got home this morning. I'm fine. Everything's fine." I was full of it. I wanted to tell him about the thoughts I'd heard.

"Damnit, Sookie! When you say you're going to call, you call! I'm a thousand miles away! I'm worried sick! If that sonofabitch touched you…hurt you…" He swore a blue streak. At least, I think he did. That wasn't a language I recognized.

"Eric, please…" I whispered into the phone. George was looking in. I was naked. I pulled the blanket up around my chest. George slipped back out.

"What did he do to you?" He was really, really angry. Possessive. Scary. I knew his fangs were out. His eyes were bright and blazing. He was ready to kill first, ask questions…well, probably never.

"Nothing," I breathed. That was a lie. I shuddered when I remembered him touching my throat. He'd known Eric hadn't bitten me in several months. I didn't know how he knew, but the fact that it did scared me. "He introduced me to the other Kings and Queens. I saw the King of Texas again. We went to some kind of ballet circus thing. Then he took me back to the hotel."

"When I woke up, I had this feeling… I didn't like it." Could he sense the bond from this far away? Really? Or was he just being paranoid, just worrying.

"I'm fine." Except I wanted to be home, in my own bed, in my jammies, snuggling my Viking.

I finally got off the phone with Eric. George came in to tell me that the other women had invited me to dinner at a Chinese restaurant inside the hotel. I got dressed quickly and put my hair up in a makeshift bun. I was out the door in a jiffy. It wasn't until I got to the restaurant that I realized I'd forgotten my phone.

That night, I was to attend a dance with the King, and I'd have no time to change between dinner with humans and the evening's events. Thus, I showed up at dinner as overdressed as the rest of my party. This dress was vintage, one of a kind. It was white again, and I assumed Felipe had a preference for white gowns. The entire dress was decorated with silver beads, and it had only one shoulder. Once again, I'd been unable to wear a bra of any kind. The dress was open across the back with only a chain of diamonds crossing from the single shoulder to the waist on the other side. I would have felt more like a princess if I hadn't been worried about my phone, sitting on the floor of the villa bedroom.

I ordered dumplings from a cart, and I shared a bowl of rice with the pixie girl who sat across from me. She seemed enamored with my dress, or maybe with me. I wasn't sure. I opened my mind to her thoughts. Suddenly, I was flooded with the thoughts of every girl at the table. Strangely, they were all thinking the same thing.

_It's definitely her. _


	7. Chapter 7

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 7_

I needed a phone. Oh man, I needed a phone. I got up from the table. A hand caressed my shoulder and for a split second I thought maybe, just maybe…

"Sookie," Felipe murmured near my ear. "You look beautiful." I cursed in my head. Felipe took my hand and kissed it, just as he had the night before. I could feel his eyes on my throat. He was eyeing the bite scar Eric had left on my skin. I wondered what it made him think of. On the other hand, I didn't want to know.

Good job, Sookie. You're really in a pickle now.

The night's events were long, tediously long. Felipe escorted me to a garden patio where the entire party was gathering. A vampire band was playing old covers of Frank Sinatra tunes. Felipe waltzed me across the floor, and if I had been paying attention, I might have noticed that he was an excellent dancer. I had only to follow his exceptional lead. He whisked me across the floor as though I were made of air.

I plastered my anxious grin to my face and tried to formulate some sort of plan in my head. I needed to talk to Eric. Something bad was going to happen. Specifically something bad was going to happen to me, Sookie Stackhouse, arm candy. In a half-assed sort of way, I wondered what flavor of candy I would be. Maybe strawberry or blueberry, something sweet but tart but not too tart. Jesus Christ Shepherd of Judea! Pull yourself together, Stackhouse! You're going to get out of this, whatever it is.

We danced for so long that my feet hurt. I had to sit down. Felipe hovered around me as though I might bolt at the first sign of an exit. He wasn't wrong. I touched my neck at the spot where Eric had bitten me. I felt like Felipe was drilling holes into me, right there, with his eye balls. I almost felt sore from the constant focused attention. My head actually started to throb. I felt a little nauseous. I touched the King's arm. He flicked his eyes to my face.

"I'm not feeling very well. Would you mind if I retired a bit early?" I felt more ill when I spoke.

"Certainly, Miss Sookie. Victor will take you to the car." The King flicked his fingers and Victor got up from a chair at the end of the dance floor. "I will see you tomorrow night."

The driver took me back alone, and I scrambled into the villa's bedroom. I was holding my stomach to keep from throwing up. I found the phone on the floor and shuffled into the bathroom, shedding the beautiful gown as I went. I clicked the phone open. There were about a hundred messages. I didn't have time to read them. I dialed the number for the bar. It rang three times before someone answered.

"Fangtasia." This wasn't a voice I recognized. My stomach lurched.

"Eric." I choked.

"He isn't taking calls."

"Put him on the phone. NOW!" I was gagging. My mouth tasted like day old cabbage and cotton balls.

"Fine, fine." I could hear her curse me under her breath. I dropped the phone. I could hear footsteps. I shut the thing off. Then I vomited into the toilet bowl.

"Miss Sookie, are you alright?" It was the King. Oh shit oh shit. I gagged and brought up another wave of vomit. My whole body, pretty much naked, shook. Felipe bent down beside me. The phone started to ring. I didn't reach for it. The King picked it up and dropped it into the toilet bowl full of floating yellow and green stomach contents.

"Perhaps we should get you a drink of water." He was up again. I considered fishing my phone out of the bowl. The screen had shut off. The mechanism shorted. The whole thing sparked at me. Great.

I coughed and choked. Felipe returned with a glass of water, and I slumped against the cedar closet beside the toilet. I felt sort of like death. I thought about Eric. Felipe was talking but I figured I could tune him out and blame it on my sudden illness. I thought harder about my Viking. I repeated his name over and over in my brain. I tried urgency. I tried fear. I tried romance and bravery and trepidation. I even tried to recreate that ecstatic desire I felt when I surrendered to orgasm. I didn't hear a response, but I didn't stop trying.

"Sookie?" Felipe asked me. I looked at him with one eye. I was extremely tired, sick, frightened. "Tell me about your gift."

"I've been telepathic all my life," I murmured. My tongue tasted like vomit. I repeated his name again and again in my head. "I can't hear the thoughts of vampires, only humans, sometimes supes a little."

"Fascinating. I have a similar ability. As I'm sure you know, all vampires have some kind of individual gift. The Viking flies. I can make people feel whatever I wish them to feel. It is like a glamour, but much stronger. I have never met a vampire or human that could withstand it."

"Oh," I murmured. My stomach tightened. Had he made me want to throw up? I didn't know.

"You've put up quite a fight, Miss Stackhouse. I will see you tomorrow night. Please get some rest."

I felt so ill, I couldn't move. I slumped against the closet and closed my eyes. I was in deep, deep trouble. The King of Louisiana was hypnotizing me. He'd been at it for two days. It was finally sinking in, and I could feel it. I closed my eyes and thought of Eric. Eric Eric Eric. I repeated his name over and over again. At some point, I fell asleep on the floor of the bathroom. I woke up in the same spot several hours later. My neck was stiff.

"Eric," I whispered. "Please help me."

I struggled to my feet and stumbled across the hall. I drew myself a bath and sank into the water. I still felt sick, as though my stomach were tied up in knots. Out the small bathroom window, I could see that it was dark outside. I glanced at the clock on the television. It was a little past six in the evening. I'd slept all day.

"Sookie," George called through the door. I craned my neck around. "It is nearly time to get dressed."

"Thanks," I murmured. I couldn't seem to get my voice up over a certain volume. Maybe if I moved slowly enough, quietly enough, I would stop feeling the urge to vomit. I got up slowly and left the water idling in the tub. With a towel around my waist, I moved out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. George handed me a beautiful red silk gown. It was strapless, and it had a fluttering train down the back. I sighed and began the process of conforming by body to the whims of a piece of fabric. When we'd gotten my curved figure into the less than curvy dress, George helped me down to the hair dresser. The stylist pulled my hair up off my neck, curling it around and over and up. She added a few diamond barrettes to complete the look. George helped me to the door. My escort was already knocking.

_Eric_, I thought. Felipe was standing there. I felt my knees wobble and I wasn't sure why. My body straightened up as though I didn't want to be very sick all over the marble floor. Felipe pulled me against his body and walked me out to the limousine. I thought about my Viking all the way to the nightclub inside the hotel.

I was still thinking about him when Felipe strode with me up to the stage where a band would probably set up.

The nightclub, called The Bank, was decorated in black and gold. The venue had been closed for the vampires tonight, and the room seemed monumental for such a small gathering. Victor was standing on the stage and Felipe tossed me backward. I stumbled into Victor's arms, tripping over the train of my dress. The King of Louisiana (and Nevada and Arkansas) addressed the small crowd of vampire leaders and silly human girls in pretty party dresses. I felt a little drunk.

"I want you all to know that she is more than just a woman. You have all heard the stories, I am sure. Sookie Stackhouse is a telepath, able to read the thoughts of humans, weres, and supes. She is a truly beautiful and compelling woman. When she comes over, she will remain as talented and beautiful as she is now, perhaps becoming even more valuable to our kind. When we seek to increase our number, we do not choose lightly. Miss Stackhouse is a good candidate. She will make a fine vampire."

I choked. Oh no. I didn't want to be a vampire. I had enough problems. I wanted to live. I wanted to work at Merlotte's and pay my bills and feed my cat. I wasn't ready to die. Oh shit oh shit. Sookie, you're so damn stupid!

"Hold her," Felipe said to Victor. He grabbed my wrists and yanked them behind me. Felipe couldn't glamour me, but I didn't need the restraint. I couldn't will my legs to move. I felt like I was at the dentist, weighed down by a hundred doses of Novocaine. I didn't want to face the drill, but I couldn't seem to run away.

His fangs bit into me before I could make a sound. I wanted to scream. I couldn't find my voice. His teeth hurt, much more than any other bite I'd ever felt. I willed myself to struggle. I thought about Eric. I pleaded for him. I felt weak, sick, and horribly frightened. My fingers were cold and I wanted to shiver. I couldn't feel anything but the bite, the weakness, the pain. My stomach tightened again. I wanted to cry.

I felt new hands on me. The fangs ripped through my flesh and finally yanked out. I felt hot blood on my skin. There were arms around me. I was afraid to open my eyes.

"She's bonded to me!" I heard Eric yell. His voice was that angry, scary voice that I genuinely feared. I was so very cold. I felt my fingers start shaking. "She's MINE."

"You never claimed her! She came with me voluntarily."

"She belongs to me, de Castro! Touch her again and I'll see your fangs ripped from your skull."

I could hear murmuring on the ground. Some girl was thinking about how big an error the King had made. Another one was hoping she could escape the room before a fight broke out. There were spots in front of my eyes. I blinked a few times but the room was very, very dark.

Eric lifted me from the stage and wrapped me up in his arms. I could feel a cold breeze on my face. We were flying. I was flying with my Viking. I was shivering so bad I couldn't think straight. His voice seemed very far away. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about anything.

"Wake up," Eric grunted at me. I opened my eyes half way. I was on the floor of the villa. Eric had shoved a bottle of that ultra expensive bottled blood against my lips. I didn't want it. I didn't want anything. Well, maybe a blanket. I shook my head.

"I'm not asking Sookie. Drink it." He growled at me. I opened my mouth reluctantly and he poured the stuff down my throat. I coughed some of it up, but more of it went down. Someone was opening another bottle. I heard a cork pop.

"No more," I whimpered pathetically.

"Don't argue with me, lover." Eric was still angry, still scary. I didn't look at him. I gulped down more of the blood. My stomach turned. I suddenly felt extremely sick, again.

"I'm going to throw up," I said.

"If you do, you'll drink more." He sounded like someone's dad, but not mine.

"I'm cold."

"I'll run her a bath." That was George's voice. I liked George.

"Look at me, Sookie," Eric was saying. I was too afraid to meet his eyes. I wondered how angry he was with me. He'd been absolutely right. I was a stupid fool. He touched my chin with his fingertips. For the first time, he actually felt lukewarm. "Open your eyes."

I did. His huge blue eyes looked back at me, down at me. I was on the floor of the villa's kitchen. I was shaking. "Eric," I said so quietly I wasn't sure he'd heard me.

"You're mine now," he said. He was lifting me up off the floor. He took me into the bathroom and George yanked off the awful red dress. Eric set me carefully in the tub and removed his own clothes with an admirable speed. He said something to George and slid into the bath behind me. I curled against him. The water could never be hot enough.

"Guess I can't fix the porch now," I murmured. I closed my eyes again. I was so tired.

"I'll take care of it." Eric said simply.

"I'm a woman in my own right," I frowned. Eric sighed and pulled me closer to him.

"You're mine, Sookie. I'll take care of you. Please…" He sounded so sad, almost defeated. I didn't want to make him sound worse. I stopped talking.

_Stay tuned for the final chapter of Dead Broke!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Dead Broke**

_Chapter 8_

Of course, when I woke up, just after sunset, I was feeling more myself. Eric was standing over me. I wasn't sure how long he'd been awake, but the curtains in the villa bedroom were wide open and the sky was still stained with red streaks. Eric bent down over me and touched my forehead with his cool lips. I was shocked, but extremely glad that he was cold again and I wasn't. I half-smiled at him. My neck was itchy.

"That butler is a good man," my Viking murmured. He reached to touch my neck but I couldn't feel his fingers. I reached up as well. Ah, bandage.

"Well, this _is_ the best hotel in the desert." I chuckled. Did I sound as much like a whimpering kitten as I thought?

"It's too bad the vampire amenities are sub par. We need to be going. I'm not spending another night in a powder room." Trying not to picture Eric stuffed into a bathtub. Ooh, too late.

"How are we getting back?" I blinked. Were we really going to fly, ala Viking? I thought about how cold and uncomfortable that would be.

"Same way I got here," he smirked that trademark Eric smirk. "Air Louisiana."

By that, he meant Felipe's private jet. I didn't realize that until we were on the runway.

Eric had insisted on bringing the organza, strapless number that Felipe had dressed me in on Friday night. I told him it didn't fit but he didn't believe me. The rest of the dresses, except for my own things, we left in a pile on the bathroom floor. I hoped the maid would scoop them up before the King had a chance to collect them. Don't even think about what he would do with them, I thought, blanching.

The jet lifted us into the air at a little after seven. I curled against my Viking while his fingers stroked idly through my tangled, madcap hair. It had had so much hairspray and gunk in it, and then I hadn't had time to wash it properly in the bath, and now it looked like a blond rat had taken nest in it. Fortunately, no one seemed to obsess over it.

"The King will…" Eric was sneering. He paused the motion of his hand in my hair. "He'll do his best to make amends now that I've humiliated him in front of the rest of them. He should never have…" he frowned. His hand balled into a fist. His knuckles were whiter than bone. "I should have claimed you, Sookie, whether you wanted it or not."

"I didn't." I whispered, trying not to sound ungrateful. "I still don't."

"It's done now."

"I know."

"Bill, I'm sure, told you that the claim is necessary. Of course, his reasons were his own. He was guarding you, not just for himself. The King extended you his protection, and I thought, with the bond, I'd made a claim on you without actually deflating that pride of yours." I winced. "I'm just glad I got there in time."

"Eric?" I murmured. He looked down at me. His fist relaxed a little.

"Hm?"

"I don't want to be a vampire." I said it quietly. The thing is, I didn't want to offend him. I liked vampires, for the most part, and I definitely liked him.

"I don't want that either, lover,"

"So why did Felipe…I mean the King…"

"I haven't asked, but I gather he wanted to control that gift of yours, see what he could do with it once you turned. You'd be his child, Sookie. You'd be bound to him, like Pam is bound to me, like Bill was bound to…"

"Oh please don't say it," I cringed.

"I gather it would break what we have." He said simply, and a little sadly.

We sat quietly for a minute, but I couldn't sit still too long. There were too many questions and now was the perfect time for answers. There's no escape on a little jet.

"Tell me about the bond," I said. I knew next to nothing about it.

"It's mythic," he said quietly. "No one knows much about it. It's one of those things that happened to a friend of a friend a hundred years ago."

"I don't see why. We found occasion to share blood, and Bill and I…"

"How many times did you drink from Bill?" I blinked. Talk about personal questions!

"Uhm, twice." I'd had to count on my fingers.

"How many times did he drink from you?"

"A lot more than that." Actually, it had been every time, or almost every time we had made love. It occurred to me that Eric rarely bit me when we made love. Huh. Weird.

"That's often how it is," he was going on. "Many of my kind, they get off on feeding, and less so on being fed from. Think about the difference between, hm, eating something you enjoy, or having Mops bite you on the hand." I couldn't help but giggle.

"The human, whoever it is, must drink from the vampire to have the bond occur. Otherwise, it isn't much of an exchange."

I thought about the room in the King of Mississippi's mansion. I'd fed from Eric there. He looked like he was enjoying it to me. My cheeks felt hot.

"I enjoy it when you taste me, Sookie," Okay. That was eerie. I was definitely blushing. "But it's different."

"Why?" Remembering Bill brought a pang to my heart, but I tried to imagine him giving me his arm after I'd had the shit kicked out of me by the Rattrays. Boy, that seemed like a lifetime ago. I couldn't remember whether he'd liked it or not.

"I don't know." He sounded a little bit flummoxed, like he'd thought about that a lot, but didn't know the answer. "You're not like any human I've ever known."

Deep breath, Sookie. That's probably a good thing.

"I'm perfectly normal!" I protested. Damn pride. I felt like the unsinkable Molly Brown or something. "Telepathy, fairy heritage be damned! I'm just average waitress Sookie Stackhouse!" Except that I wasn't, not really. When you're sleeping with a 1000 year old Viking, you have to accept that maybe you're a little unusual. I just wasn't ready to accept it.

"Of course," was all Eric said. He pulled me back against his chest. In the heat of my frustration, I'd managed to jostle myself upright. Though I was feeling better, I wasn't exactly in tip top physical condition.

I wanted to know more about the bond, but I couldn't think of another question that translated into words. I wanted to know how long it would last, what it felt like to him, how he felt about having emotions that he hadn't had since…since he'd turned. I finally realized I hadn't asked him the most important thing.

"How did you know?" I tried to filter through my memory. I hadn't asked, not once. How did he know where to go? How did he get to the hotel so fast? Everything seemed so blurry. I couldn't believe I'd never asked.

"One of the waitresses said we got some prank call on Saturday, but I didn't realize it was you at first." Eric seemed to be trying to express something. He tilted his head to one side. His hair fell down over his cheek. Finally, he closed his eyes. "I heard you, Sookie."

I blinked at him. In my head, I'd screamed his name over and over again. But I didn't think it would actually work.

"When?" My mouth hung open even after I spoke.

"In my sleep," he murmured, obviously perplexed. Stunned, that was what I was. Weren't vampires pretty much dead to the world during the day? Eric was shaking his head. "I could feel you, your distress, fear…" he pulled me tighter against his chest. "I knew I had to be with you."

"I didn't think it would work," I admitted in a small voice. I wanted to tuck myself inside him to be closer to him. There seemed to be too much distance between us, even now. My eyelids seemed heavy, but I didn't want to fall asleep. Eric was brushing my hair with his fingers again.

When I woke up, I was lying in my own bed again. It was day, sometime. I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was four in the afternoon. I hoped I wasn't supposed to be at work, if I still had a job after the way I'd yelled at my boss. I rolled out of bed and loped down the hall to find Mops curled up in a sliver of sunlight. She mewed at me as I walked to the kitchen table. Eric had left a note. I lifted it to my face, since my eyes were still groggy with sleep. Underneath it, a key sat on the table.

_Sookie, the work men will be at the house on Wednesday to repair the porch. I've ordered you new appliances. They'll be delivered on Thursday. I will be speaking to Victor about the King's behavior, as well as the money owed to you in exchange for your work. I have also called Sam, and said that you'll be out sick for the week. Get plenty of rest, my lover. I will see you tonight. _

_E._

_PS: The car is a rental. I had yours pulled in for repairs. Mind that pride of yours. _

I picked up the key and looked out the front window. A green Mazda convertible sat on my gravel driveway, gleaming in the late afternoon sun. I swallowed and tried to hold in a fit of outrage. Somewhere, deep underneath my bruised ego, I was smiling.


End file.
